Quotes on Ten Tribes, The

See also:D&C 133:26-27; 77:14; 110:11

In the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 29:11-14), the Lord promises that in the mouths of three great scriptural witnesses the divinity of Christ would be established. It is of interest to note that evidently the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to all of the peoples who were to write these great scriptural witnesses. He appeared as a resurrected being to the Jews, from whom we get the Bible; he appeared as a resurrected being to the Nephites, from whom we get the Book of Mormon; and he promises here that he is going to appear as a resurrected being to the lost tribes of Israel, from whom shall come the third great scriptural witness. (Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 271) — Book of Mormon Student Manual, p. 121

President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “Whether these tribes are in the north or not, I am not prepared to say. As I said before, they are ‘lost’ and until the Lord wishes it, they will not be found. All that I know about it is what the Lord has revealed, and He declares that they will come from the North. He has also made it very clear and definite that these lost people are separate and apart from the scattered Israelites now being gathered out.” — Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p. 275

In a conference of the Church on 3 June 1831, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught concerning John’s ministry: “John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion” (History of the Church, 1:176). — Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p. 18

What is the highway that shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep as mentioned in D&C 133:27? The “great deep” means the ocean or a body of water (see Genesis 7:11; Isaiah 51:10). The scriptures do not explain how a highway will be cast up in the midst of the deep for the ten lost tribes to come to Zion. But the language of this prophecy is related to the account of how Moses parted the Red Sea. With Pharaoh and his army at their backs and the Red Sea in front of them, Israel had come to an impasse. Then a miracle took place: a highway was cast up in the midst of the deep, and Israel crossed over on dry ground. (See Exodus 14; Isaiah 11:15–16.) — Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p. 341

Lost books are among the treasures yet to come forth. Over twenty of these are mentioned in the existing scriptures. Perhaps most startling and voluminous will be the records of the lost tribes of Israel (see 2 Ne. 29:13). We would not even know of the impending third witness for Christ except through the precious Book of Mormon, the second witness for Christ! This third set of sacred records will thus complete a triad of truth. Then, just as the Perfect Shepherd has said, “My word also shall be gathered in one” (2 Ne. 29:14). There will be “one fold and one shepherd” (1 Ne. 22:25) in a welding together of all the Christian dispensations of human history (see D&C 128:18). — Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “God Will Yet Reveal,” Ensign, November 1986

Although mention is often made of the Lord’s “other tribes” which were taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., the exact identity of the names of the ten “other tribes” is much less well known.

Since an understanding of the ten tribes must begin with a knowledge of the original twelve, let us review the names of the sons of Jacob (Israel) for whom the twelve tribes of Israel are named:

Reuben

Simeon

Levi

Judah

Dan

Naphtali

Gad

Asher

Issachar

Zebulun

Joseph

Benjamin

Throughout the period of the exodus from Egypt, however, thirteen tribes are generally listed instead of twelve. This is because Jacob adopted the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, in order that they might have the double inheritance due to the birthright son. (See Gen. 48:5, 16.) Thus, when the Israelites returned from Egypt to Canaan, each of the two tribes descended from Joseph was given a share of land. — John A. Tvedtnes’ “The Other Tribes: Which Are They?” Ensign, January 1982